Valve announces changes to Steam's review process, as a surge in game submissions pushes review times to "up to 12 business days", instead of the usual 3-5 days

Game launch delays on Steam could decrease for indie developers.

Valve has announced significant changes to its Steam game review process due to a surge in submissions, extending review times to up to 12 business days from the usual 3-5 days. This increase in delays has frustrated indie developers, with some missing launch dates. To address the backlog, Valve is implementing new requirements for developers, aiming to reduce re-reviews for basic functional issues. These changes include mandating that developers play their games through Steam for at least five minutes to catch issues specific to the platform's integration. Developers must also ensure achievements are ready and confirm necessary redistributables like DirectX and Visual C++ are accounted for. Valve indicated further improvements to the build review process are planned.

The extended review times highlight a growing bottleneck in game distribution platforms, potentially impacting the launch strategies and revenue streams of independent developers. By requiring developers to test their games within the Steam client itself for a minimum duration, Valve is attempting to shift some of the burden of quality assurance onto the developers, ensuring that basic functionality is met before the review process even begins. This move could lead to a more efficient review system if successful, but may also introduce new hurdles for smaller teams with limited resources.

This adjustment to the review process signals a pragmatic response to increased volume, prioritizing stability and user experience over rapid turnaround times. It suggests that platforms may increasingly rely on developer self-governance for initial quality checks as submission numbers continue to rise across the industry. Developers will need to adapt their pre-launch QA processes to accommodate these new mandatory steps, potentially leading to longer development cycles or increased costs for ensuring compliance.